Health Scare At High School
Posted by Alex Nochez on Oct 13, 2013 - 6:13:37 AM

MALIBU — A health scare at
MalibuHigh School has prompted an “action plan” to deal with the possibility of a health hazard.

On October 9, Superintendent Sarah Lyon of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District revealed the district's plan on the
MalibuHigh School website that outlines various actions ready to be taken in light of concerns from both faculty and parents of the students.

City of Malibu.

The outline put forth lists six agendas that the school district will try to reach.Among these are to “Seek to Gather Facts,” which aims to gather as much environmental data of the school grounds, to “Share Timeline/Action Plan,” allowing the expected findings to be posted on the school's website, and to “Gather Health Information” with the Los Angeles County Department of Health who will also work to “develop staff and student (voluntary) health survey.”

“We all share a commitment to student and staff safety, and we all seek to swiftly gather facts that will guide our immediate action planning to address your expressed concerns about campus ”“ and individual ”“ health,” says Superintendent Lyon on the site.

This comes a day after Principal Jerry Block announced that certain classes will be relocated to the campus' middle school building and to Juan Cabrillo Elementary.

A letter written by faculty member Katy Lapajne last week revealed that several faculty members had experienced serious medical issues over a period of five years, including three unnamed teachers diagnosed for Stage 1 thyroid cancer within the last six months.The other ailments ranged from unexplained skin rashes to chronic migraines.

In response to that letter, Superintendent Lyon wrote a memorandum on October 4 stating that the school district had hired the expertise of an Executive Environmental, who, according to their site, offered a “whole line of industrial hygiene services,” to run a health investigation based on the concerns brought up by the letter.